While many of the Coalition readership is looking at handing down the ranch to the next generation, there are young people that want to enter production agriculture but have no land in the family to proceed with the pro- cess.
Production Agriculture
Abigail Neill, who was born and spent her early childhood near New Orleans, is one of a growing number of young people who are very interested in production agriculture but are making their own way instead of fol- lowing in a relative’s foot steps.
Abigail’s family moved from New Orleans to the small town of Princeton, MO (population 1,100) where her dad took a position as a pastor. Up until that point she had thought that a career in health care was something she might be interested in. Then she started working as a nanny for Nathan Rogers of Rogers Cattle Company & Lile Farms Red Angus. Going out to the farm was her first exposure to farm life. As fate would have it, one day Rogers needed someone to pinch hit recording numbers and asked Abigail to help. She immediately fell in love with the cows and the work and decided at that point that’s what she wanted to do with her life. “I went from kid nanny to cow nanny!” she laughed. That was in 2018 and she hasn’t looked back. She still doesn’t know exactly how to build her own operation, but the why is indisputable.
She earned an associate degree from a community college in 2022 with a degree in agriculture and natural re- source management with an emphasis on livestock management. While in school, Abigail became active in the Missouri chapter of the Professional Agricultural Student Organization and served as state president. She knew that she needed hands on experience if her dream of managing her own herd was to materialize, so she looked for as many opportunities as possible. She did an internship on the ranch in northern California that did direct marketing. She spent some more time at the Rogers operation but knew she needed to branch out. She applied for a ranch hand position at Eagle Pass Ranch near Highmore 2.5 years ago. She’s soaking in as much as she can, taking advantage of her employer’s encouragement to attend the East River grazing school and is currently enrolled in the Beef SD class through SDSU.
New to the Business
Asked how being a newbie and female in the business has impacted her experience, she replied that because she isn’t influenced by previous experience, she doesn’t have preconceived ideas about how or why various tasks or management decisions should be done. Her questions often challenged her teachers, employers and fellow workers to re-evaluate how or why they made certain decisions. She also learned that classroom scenar- ios don’t necessarily work well in real life.
Overcoming Obstacles
“There are certainly challenges, doubts and obstacles that I’ve had to overcome but hard work, integrity and dedication have always been a part of who I am so I’m not afraid to prove myself when necessary. The blessing of having an encouraging team of leaders, mentors and family behind me both during my collegiate and now professional career has been exceedingly helpful as I navigate this industry as both a female and the first generation in production agriculture,” she said. Her original mentor, Nathan Rogers, continues to be an important influence.
As the current farm and ranch managers continue to age out of production, giving someone new to production agriculture a chance may be an answer to the Great Land Swap for someone who doesn’t have children able to or interested in continuing the family business.
Garnet Perman is a freelance writer and ranches with her husband, Lyle, near Lowry, SD.
Source: SDGC Newsletter